Academic Staff Assembly Document #398

14 April 2008

Passed by a vote of the the Assembly on 14 April 2008 
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 
IN SUPPORT OF NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID FUNDRAISING

Background 
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the land grant campus for the state of Wisconsin. Throughout its history, this campus has fulfilled the mandate of the Morrill Act of 1862 to provide high-quality higher education to the broad population to strengthen the democratic fabric and economic health of the state of Wisconsin. This long-standing commitment is now in question as access to the university by fully qualified students of average economic means continues to shrink and few equally qualified students from low-income families even attempt to gain entry. A combination of rising tuition and declining financial aid resources has eroded the university’s capacity to fulfill its historic mission to all the people of Wisconsin. 
In financial support of that cause, the Faculty Senate adopted a resolution on March 3, 2008 that commits the faculty to fundraising in support of need-based student financial aid and demonstrates the faculty’s commitment to higher education for all who seek it. 
At this time and in similar fashion, the academic staff has an opportunity to support and expand upon this effort to help ensure accessible higher education for all qualified students of Wisconsin. 

Resolution 
WHEREAS the Academic Staff Assembly firmly believes that access to UW-Madison should not be limited by financial need; and 
WHEREAS the university benefits from a diverse student body with representation independent of economic means; and 
WHEREAS a university degree provides the foundation for long-term economic advantage of both the student and the state of Wisconsin; and 
WHEREAS increasing tuition costs make the UW-Madison less accessible for many qualified students; and 
WHEREAS the 2004-05 shared governance Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid’s report Restoring Access at UW-Madison stressed the need to increase need-based financial aid for low-income and first-generation students; and 
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Foundation has approved a plan to generously match contributions to a joint initiative of the faculty, academic staff, and classified staff during its first three years; and 
WHEREAS the University of Wisconsin Foundation will create and maintain an endowment for need-based student financial aid from contributions to a joint initiative of the faculty, academic staff, and classified staff; and

WHEREAS many members of the academic staff themselves benefitted from need-based financial aid; 
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the UW-Madison Academic Staff Assembly, the representative governance body of the university academic staff, hereby joins with the Faculty Senate to undertake a campaign to provide and raise funds for need-based student financial aid.